When You May Need a New Septic Installation vs a Septic Repair in Pleasantville NY

October 6, 2021 Halstead Media Group

Your Pleasantville NY septic system is a critical part of your home but sometimes you might not know whether you need septic repair or installation. These tips will help you know when you may need a septic installation and when a repair is the right path.

Septic Repair

A septic repair is something that happens when your septic tank and system are working but there seems to be something off. Perhaps the drains are not emptying quickly anymore or you smell something stinky when you go outside. These are not normal and should not be ignored.

Signs you need professional septic repair are:

If your drains are not emptying quickly and are taking much longer than normal to drain out, there is a problem in your system. You could have a clogged pipe that needs to be cleared or a tree root might have located a leak in a pipe and grown into the pipe, stopping the flow.
When you see soggy ground or a tuft of bright green grass when there has been little rain, this can be an indication that you have a leak somewhere in your pipes that take the waste to the septic tank.
If you smell a foul odor when you go outside, this is a sign there is a septic problem. Because the septic tank is an airtight container, you should never smell any bad odors unless there is a septic issue that needs professional attention.
In the same way as detecting foul odors outside, you should not smell any stinky smells inside of your home that make you think there is sewage nearby.

Septic Installation

Your septic system is comprised of several parts. There are pipes that lead from your home to the septic tank. They carry the waste and waste water from your home to the tank. The septic tank itself is an airtight fiberglass unit that holds all the waste from your home. From the septic tank is a pipe that drains the water out of the septic tank and into the drain field where it can filter back into the ground, removing the pollutants and contaminants along the way.

Signs your septic system needs new installation:

The septic tank is buried beneath the ground in a low part of your property. Because gravity is necessary to make the septic system work correctly, it is usually buried at the end of a property. Sometimes, though, when you park vehicles on top of the tank or forget it is there and park heavy vehicles such as an RV on top, the septic tank can develop a crack. Once the tank is cracked, it must be replaced.
The drain field is another essential component of the septic system. As the water flows from the septic tank into the drain field, it filters back into the ground. When the ground of the drain field becomes compacted because cars park there or it is in a spot where lots of foot traffic happens, this can affect the drainage. In this case, your septic professional might be able to reuse the septic tank but establish a new drain field. This will put your system back to working order and get the waste out of your home once more.